


refract

by cosmicpoet



Series: komahina week 2018 [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Conversations, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Meetings, Hope's Peak Academy, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reserve Course (Dangan Ronpa)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-23 13:23:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16159814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicpoet/pseuds/cosmicpoet
Summary: Hinata finds himself sitting next to a Main Course student as they admire the building of Hope's Peak, crowned in sunlight and potential that Hinata believes he will never reach.





	refract

“It looks so grand, doesn’t it?” Hinata asks, trying to start a conversation with the boy who’s just sat down next to him.

“It is,” the boy replies, “but you don’t go there, do you?”

“N-No…I’m from the Reserve Course.”

“Oh.”

Hinata watches as the boy turns away from him, but he can’t help imagining the disgust on his face. Nobody, let alone an Ultimate, would want to talk to a pathetic Reserve Course student. They’re just embarrassing, Hinata knows that - even though he is one of them, he’s realistic enough to know exactly where he fits into this world; if he even fits in at all. For some reason, though, he doesn’t move from the bench, he just glares into the sunlight that frames the main building of Hope’s Peak Academy, imagining how it would feel to wear the uniform and walk through the Main Course doors as if he belongs there.

“Do they treat you well? In the Reserve Course, I mean.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve never been inside. I’m curious. What’s it like? Is there any hope in there at all?”

“Why do you care?”

“I don’t. Curiosity doesn’t mean I care about Reserve Course students.”

“Then why ask?”

“I…I don’t know. I’m Komaeda, by the way.”

“Hinata.”

“So, Hinata…I really am curious.”

“Oh. You’re not mocking me?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Right. I mean…the Reserve Course is what it is. The education’s alright, but I’m sure even you know about the stigma. You’ve probably perpetuated it at some point, right?”

“Yeah, I have. I don’t really agree with the Reserve Course. I mean…Hope’s Peak is for talent, right?”

“And we have none…”

“Yeah. I mean…sorry, I don’t wanna be blunt,” Komaeda laughs nervously, “people tell me I’m blunt a lot of the time. It’s true though, isn’t it? The Reserve Course is just to generate income for the establishment?”

“I suppose. It’s obvious that they don’t really care about our talent…I mean, we don’t have any, so…”

“I think…talent is subjective, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?” Hinata asks.

“Well…I’m the Ultimate Lucky Student, right? So my talent is just…luck. That’s it. I think it’s a bit pathetic, but it’s enough for Hope’s Peak to let me into the Main Course. But that doesn’t mean that I’m the only person in the world who’s lucky, does it? So…surely talent can apply to multiple people? Just because you’re not an Ultimate doesn’t mean you’re not talented.”

“Is there a point, though? I mean, if I’m not the best at something, then I may as well not bother.”

“Hm. You might be right. After all, Hope’s Peak lives up to its name. The peak of hope, and that’s because of all the talent of the students.”

“And us Reserve Course students just don’t fit into that.”

“Maybe you don’t,” Komaeda says, “but beating yourself up about it is only going to lead you into despair.”

“Fuck it. Does that even matter? Would the world even be affected if one useless Reserve Course student fell into despair?”

Komaeda turns his whole body towards Hinata, and the panic in his eyes almost scares him half to death. There’s something mad in his expression - not unhinged, but burning in every degree that a person can feel so strongly about a subject. It’s like all the apathy in the world has dissipated and paved a path for Komaeda to charge through, painting the scenery of everybody’s lives with a brush crafted from hope.

“Of course it’d matter! Anyone falling into despair is unthinkable,” Komaeda says, grasping Hinata’s hands, “it doesn’t matter who they are. Talent or no talent, the idea of a person losing all hope…of never again feeling the possibility of things becoming good…it’s unthinkable! Don’t you dare, Hinata, don’t ever give up on hope.”

“You’ve known me for like five minutes,” Hinata says dryly, “and you’re a Main Course student. Why the hell do you care?”

“Because hope doesn’t discriminate. Sure, maybe I do prefer the Main Course over the Reserves, but that’s about talent. And yes, talent breeds hope, but that’s not the only way of creating something beautiful. The hope that sleeps within you is the same as within me, and within every Main Course student. It’s something raw and human, and it’s in all of us - not just those of us with Ultimate talents. If you ever let that light inside you go out…that’s the only time you deserve to be judged.”

“How can you say all this?”

“Because I get it. I mean…I can trust you, can’t I? I feel like I can, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“No, go on.”

“Well, I’m not exactly…happy. And for a long while I thought that the absence of happiness was the same as despair. But it’s not. Even when things are at their worst, I don’t give up, because that’s what hope is. Hope doesn’t make you happy, and it doesn’t prevent sadness. It just keeps you going when you want to give in.”

“So if I have that hope, then…”

“Then you deserve to be a Main Course student.”

“I think you have a nicer definition of hope than this school does.”

“Ha,” Komaeda smiles warmly at Hinata, “if only I could be called the Ultimate Hope.”

“I think you could.”

“I doubt it. Not me. But someone. Someone will, one day, and I’ll do anything to meet them. Although…”

“Although what?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“No, go on.”

“Really, Hinata, it’s stupid. Besides, I should get going. Thank you for the talk.”

Before Hinata can even reply, Komaeda has gotten up from the bench and he’s walking towards the Main Course building. The sun, which once illuminated Hope’s Peak, now reflects from Komaeda’s soft white hair, muting him into the scenery like he has always been destined to be surrounded by hope. And yet, he plays on Hinata’s mind. What was he going to say? What caused him to turn away; was it embarrassment? Shame? Did he not want to be seen alongside Hinata? But if that’s the case, then all of the sweet words would mean nothing. So it can’t be that.

Komaeda is genuine. Somehow, Hinata knows this.

* * *

 

_“Although I may have already met them.”_

**Author's Note:**

> For Day Two of Komahina Week! The prompts are Island Mode/Hope's Peak, so I chose Hope's Peak!
> 
> Please comment if you enjoyed this :^)
> 
> (p.s. ao3 is saying i posted this on the 1st but it's just gone midnight so it's the 2nd here)


End file.
